Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer cannot understand why Thiago Silva’s age is constantly brought up as he continues to excel in a Chelsea shirt.
Silva, who has just turned 37, has been a revelation for the Blues since joining from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
He, of course, helped Chelsea to their second Champions League trophy after the west London club beat Manchester City in the final last season and has started this campaign in fine fashion.
Is Silva the best CB in the Premier League?
Yes
No
The Brazil international was pivotal in his side’s 3-0 win against London rivals Tottenham last weekend, scoring the opening goal with a fantastic header.
It was a performance that saw him hailed as an “outstanding player” by Gary Neville, a sentiment shared by Palmer, who does not get why his age is talked about.
“He’s a good centre-half,” the ex-Leeds United player said to TIF. “I don’t get the age thing. I played in the Premier League at 37, 38, Gary McAllister went to Liverpool at 35, Gordon Strachan.
“If you keep yourself fit, you can play well past that. You’ve seen it with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Edinson] Cavani. If you keep yourself fit and look after yourself, you can play well into your late 30s.”
Even after selling Kurt Zouma and failing to sign Jules Kounde, Chelsea really do look covered in that central defensive position due to possessing players like Silva, who is undoubtedly proving age is just a number.